Mortezâ Varzi
Encyclopedia
Mortezâ Varzi was an Iran
ian musician and kamancheh
player.
of an artistically-inclined family. He started his music lessons on the violin at age 15 with Morteza Neydavoud
, one of the greatest Persian instrumentalists of the twentieth century. After his father advised him to play music on a traditional Persian instrument, he began studying setar
with master Nasratollah Zarrin Panjeh, and kamancheh
with master Ali-Asghar Bahari.
When young, he lived across the street from Gholam Hossein Banan
, the greatest Persian traditional singer of the day, who also helped him learn about Persian poetry, and how to fit the poetry to the music.
After finishing college with a degree in economics, Mr. Varzi was employed by the Iranian government, traveling throughout the world, conducting official business in Japan, the Philippines, India, China, the UK, and the United States.During his official duties, he represented the Iranian government at forums such as the CENTO Symposium on Decentralization of Government.
He undertook post-graduate studies in Finance and Personnel Management in the United States, and in Public Administration in the UK.
Later, after attaining high office at the Iranian State Railroad and at the Iranian Ministry of the Interior (where his posts included Governor of the Province of Sari, Director of Planning and Studies, Director General of Plans and Studies, Director General of Organization and Method, Consultant to the Minister of the Interior, and Executive Director of the Iran Municipal Association), he spent his free time collecting Iranian musical recordings, and researching Persian classical and folkloric music.
In 1970, Mr. Varzi took up residence in the United States, promoting Persian music and culture, and instructing both Iranians and Americans in the Persian classical musical repertoire. To this end, he founded the non-profit Institute of Persian Performing Arts in 1985. He was also the founder of the Bâhâri (with Peggy Caton, Robyn Friend, Massoud Modirian, and Neil Siegel
) and Oshâgh (with Kazem Alemi, Mr. Tehrani, and Reza Torshizi) musical ensembles. In 1986, he was recognized by the United States National Endowment for the Arts as a master teacher and performer.
He had hundreds of students – learning kamancheh
, setar
, tar (lute)
, radif
(Persian repertoire), Persian singing, Persian classical poetry – who came to study with him from all over the world. He also provided many opportunities for his students to meet and work with other masters of Persian music.
His translations of the poetry of Hafez
, created and interpreted in collaboration with his long-time friend and student Margaret Caton, were published by Mazda in 2008.
Ostad Varzi died in Tehran, Iran, on 3 January 2004 (13th of Dey Maahe 1382), shortly after his 81st birthday. Read an appreciation of Ostad Morteza Varzi at http://home.earthlink.net/~rcfriend/varzi.pdf by one of his students.
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian musician and kamancheh
Kamancheh
The kamānche or kamāncha is a Persian bowed string instrument related to the bowed rebab, the historical ancestor of the kamancheh and also to the bowed lira of the Byzantine Empire, ancestor of the European violin family. The strings are played with a variable-tension bow: the word "kamancheh"...
player.
Biography
He was born in TehranTehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
of an artistically-inclined family. He started his music lessons on the violin at age 15 with Morteza Neydavoud
Morteza Neydavoud
-life:He was born to a Persian Jewish family in Isfahan during the Qajar times. His family was satiated with music and he began to love music at an early age. His father Bala Khan played the tonbak, and the sound of instruments played by the musicians of the time echoed in their music-loving...
, one of the greatest Persian instrumentalists of the twentieth century. After his father advised him to play music on a traditional Persian instrument, he began studying setar
Setar
SETAR N.V., is the privatised full telecommunications service provider for the island of Aruba. The services provided by SETAR include: telephone, internet and GSM-related wireless services. SETAR also owns Tele Aruba....
with master Nasratollah Zarrin Panjeh, and kamancheh
Kamancheh
The kamānche or kamāncha is a Persian bowed string instrument related to the bowed rebab, the historical ancestor of the kamancheh and also to the bowed lira of the Byzantine Empire, ancestor of the European violin family. The strings are played with a variable-tension bow: the word "kamancheh"...
with master Ali-Asghar Bahari.
When young, he lived across the street from Gholam Hossein Banan
Gholam Hossein Banan
Gholām-Hossein Banān was an Iranian musician and singer. He was born into a musical family...
, the greatest Persian traditional singer of the day, who also helped him learn about Persian poetry, and how to fit the poetry to the music.
After finishing college with a degree in economics, Mr. Varzi was employed by the Iranian government, traveling throughout the world, conducting official business in Japan, the Philippines, India, China, the UK, and the United States.During his official duties, he represented the Iranian government at forums such as the CENTO Symposium on Decentralization of Government.
He undertook post-graduate studies in Finance and Personnel Management in the United States, and in Public Administration in the UK.
Later, after attaining high office at the Iranian State Railroad and at the Iranian Ministry of the Interior (where his posts included Governor of the Province of Sari, Director of Planning and Studies, Director General of Plans and Studies, Director General of Organization and Method, Consultant to the Minister of the Interior, and Executive Director of the Iran Municipal Association), he spent his free time collecting Iranian musical recordings, and researching Persian classical and folkloric music.
In 1970, Mr. Varzi took up residence in the United States, promoting Persian music and culture, and instructing both Iranians and Americans in the Persian classical musical repertoire. To this end, he founded the non-profit Institute of Persian Performing Arts in 1985. He was also the founder of the Bâhâri (with Peggy Caton, Robyn Friend, Massoud Modirian, and Neil Siegel
Neil Siegel
Neil Gilbert Siegel is an American computer scientist and engineer, known for his development of many key systems for the United States military, including the Blue-Force Tracking system, the US Army's first unmanned air vehicle system, the US Army forward-area air defense system, and many others...
) and Oshâgh (with Kazem Alemi, Mr. Tehrani, and Reza Torshizi) musical ensembles. In 1986, he was recognized by the United States National Endowment for the Arts as a master teacher and performer.
He had hundreds of students – learning kamancheh
Kamancheh
The kamānche or kamāncha is a Persian bowed string instrument related to the bowed rebab, the historical ancestor of the kamancheh and also to the bowed lira of the Byzantine Empire, ancestor of the European violin family. The strings are played with a variable-tension bow: the word "kamancheh"...
, setar
Setar
SETAR N.V., is the privatised full telecommunications service provider for the island of Aruba. The services provided by SETAR include: telephone, internet and GSM-related wireless services. SETAR also owns Tele Aruba....
, tar (lute)
Tar (lute)
The tār is a long-necked, waisted Iranian instrument. It has been adopted by other cultures and Azerbaijan. The word tar itself means "string" in Persian, though it might have the same meaning in languages influenced by Persian or any other branches of Iranian languages like Kurdish...
, radif
Radif
Radif is a rule in Persian, Turkic, and Urdu poetry which states that, in the form of poetry known as a Ghazal, the second line of all the couplets must end with the same word/s. This repeating of common words is the "Radif" of the Ghazal...
(Persian repertoire), Persian singing, Persian classical poetry – who came to study with him from all over the world. He also provided many opportunities for his students to meet and work with other masters of Persian music.
His translations of the poetry of Hafez
Hafez
Khwāja Shamsu d-Dīn Muhammad Hāfez-e Shīrāzī , known by his pen name Hāfez , was a Persian lyric poet. His collected works composed of series of Persian poetry are to be found in the homes of most Iranians, who learn his poems by heart and use them as proverbs and sayings to this day...
, created and interpreted in collaboration with his long-time friend and student Margaret Caton, were published by Mazda in 2008.
Ostad Varzi died in Tehran, Iran, on 3 January 2004 (13th of Dey Maahe 1382), shortly after his 81st birthday. Read an appreciation of Ostad Morteza Varzi at http://home.earthlink.net/~rcfriend/varzi.pdf by one of his students.